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Islowly wake up with my head throbbing. The last thing I remember is the nurse putting something into my IV. Glancing up at my window, I spot the closed blinds. Before I crashed, Nash was looking at me through the glass. Now he’s gone. I have a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that it’s permanent.
My dad walks in with my emotional mom. She runs over to me, “Ivy, I was so scared.”
“I’m fine, mom. Where’s Nash?”
He speaks up, “Gone. You won’t be seeing each other anymore.”
My mom pulls up a chair beside my bed and takes a seat. My dad stands with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Mom please, I need Nash.”
She reaches out and gently strokes my hand, “He has made his decision, Ivy. He’s not wrong. Nash is your brother and you’re too young for him.”
“You were young when you married dad.”
My mom looks at me with tenderness and understanding, “I know but you’re even younger. Your dad wasn’t my brother either.”
I sigh audibly, “He’s not my brother. I didn’t even meet him until I was an adult. We aren't related biologically.”
My mom turns to my dad, who's standing like a stone statue, “Can we have a moment alone?”
Dad is a good man. He really is. He devotes his life to taking care of sick children. He loves my mom fiercely. Liam Lexington is a man you can depend on when the worst of the worst happens. His one flaw is he is overprotective to a fault. I’ve never been allowed to date. He thinks all boys just want to get into my pants. And now he wants to keep me from Nash. I won’t allow that to happen.
My dad finally nods, “I’ll be outside.”
After he leaves, she stares at me, “Tell me why, Ivy. Why Nash? Of all the boys in the world?”
I can’t fight the smile on my face, “That’s easy. He makes me feel alive. Before him, I felt dead inside, like I didn’t matter. I matter to him. Nash makes everything better. I stopped painting years ago, but I did it again for him. But it wasn’t him that got the joy, it was me. When I was using drugs, I got sick. It was Nash that took care of me and expected nothing in return. He held me while I detoxed and stayed awake all night long to make sure I was okay. Nash takes care of me.”
She gasps, “Ivy Lexington. Drugs? You were using drugs before today? I don’t understand how we got here.”
I nod, “I’m not proud of it, but I got addicted to the painkillers after my surgery.”
“Your dad thinks he was with you to punish him for taking me away from him.”
I swallow hard, “No. That was a long time ago, Mom. Nash cares about me. I know what he did to you. It was wrong. But he’s not that person anymore.”
She takes my hand in hers, “I know he’s not. Do you know what people will say? You may not be biologically related, but he is your adopted brother whether you like it or not.”
Mom leans forward and brushes my hair out of my face, and I respond, “I know what they’ll say, and I don’t care. When you started dating Dad were there not people who judged you? He was Nash’s age now, you were twenty-three. And he was your best friend’s father. Surely someone disagreed. Did you walk away?”
A smile crosses her face, “Yes there were people who thought it wildly inappropriate. I’ll spare you the details, but no I didn’t walk away. I’ve never regretted that decision over the last fifteen years.”
“I don’t feel differently about Nash.”
She raises her eyebrow, “You want to marry, Nash?”
Giggling I say, “I don’t know about that, but I’d like to have the opportunity to find out.”
“Your father will never allow that to happen, sweetheart.”
I sigh, “Then I’ll move out. I’m eighteen. I don’t have to live with you.”
A tear rolls down her face, “Please Ivy. He’s trying to protect you.”
I shake my head, “I’m sorry, but he’s being unreasonable. As an adult, I have the right to choose who I want to be with. You both stopped caring about me so long ago. Why does he even bother with this?”
She gasps, “Ivy that is not true. I have never stopped loving you.”
